Muggle at Hogwarts insert clever title here R&R!
by April-M
Summary: When a troubled Muggle stumbles upon an ancient runes, he thinks of nothing but shelter. However, upon awakening he finds himself inside Hogwarts. Is he truly a Muggle or is there a secret in his past that leaves the Marauders in danger...
1. Chapter 1

_One_

Aiden Burke hadn't done anything wrong in his eyes, though the owner of the market seemed to think otherwise. How we he supposed to eat if he had no money to buy food? His family hadn't given him any money well, ever as far as he could remember, and they especially hadn't when they threw him from their house. What he had managed to take from the house was minimal, shoved hastily into a backpack and had only lasted for his first three days away. It had been a week now, and he was beginning to get desperate.

"Oi! You haven't paid for that! You—"

But what Aiden was he did not hear, for he had turned sharply to the right down an abandoned ally with a brick wall at the far end. He stopped only for a moment, looking quickly over his shoulder as he assessed his situation. The shopkeeper hadn't yet caught up with him as he took a few tentative steps toward the brick wall.

"You can't hide in the alleys boy!" The shopkeeper called off distantly. "I've called the authorities, you can't hide!" The distant shouts grew ever closer.

Aiden grimaced, his heart racing at ten times the normal speed. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, fueling his next move. With another shout from the angry market owner reaching a nearby ally, searching for him, he turned and ran the last few feet to the solid barrier.

But it wasn't solid. Or, it hadn't been when Aiden had run straight through it. He found himself, clearly on the other side of the wall, but how he'd managed to get here was unbeknownst to him. Looking back only momentarily, he ran a hand down the wall and tried pushing his hand through it, but to no avail. He shook it off, not having the time, or the inclination, to sit around and ponder this odd occurrence. Someone, though, was clearly on his side.

He took off at a straight out run and glanced left and right several times as to get his bearings. He was still in the marketing district of the city for shopkeepers lined the roads selling fresh fruits and vegetables, or meats from a local butcher. Some looked up curiously as they saw the young man of seventeen, tall and strong, with his almost-black eyes and jet black hair, running from something. What, they did not know. But most just went about their business, not concerning themselves with the problems of another.

The sound of sirens filled his ears and he immediately stopped running, keeping his cool. Turning towards a fruit stand on his right, he made himself appear as any buyer would. Testing out fruits for bruises and such. Some rubbish his mother had always told him to do if he found himself buying his own food. The sirens whirled past him, taking the left to lead them to street where his innocent crime had been committed.

And he ran again. He ran down streets he'd never before traveled upon, past townhouses and eventually found himself in the heart of the city. Cars buzzed around the central rotary, beeping horns filling much of the air around him. People bustled around the sidewalks at a quicker pace here, than in the market district. Many were rushing to work as to not be late, or dragging their children to school. Aiden scoffed, he wasn't bloody well returning to his school this year. He didn't have anything else to learn from anyone. Or as his parents had put it, he didn't want to learn anything from anyone, didn't care. It was during this argument that he'd been kicked out of his home. In the heat of the argument between him and his mother, she had been thrown against the far wall of their expansive living room.

Aiden hadn't known how it had happened and never remembered even touching his mother. But his father had thought otherwise and had proceeded to call his estranged son every name in the book.

"You have three minutes time to pack your belongings and get out," his father had said with chilling and cool finality in this voice.

So Aiden, in his rebellious attitude, had taken only taken a small portion of food and left the house, never to look back. But he was looking back now and hitting himself for not thinking to bring a change of clothes and other minor necessities. A few days back, he'd snatched an outfit from a store and entered the changing room with it, ripping off security devices and tags and hanging his old clothes on the hanger. It had been a poor attempt at smuggling clothes out of a store but the small old lady who ran the store was apparently too blind to have noticed a new outfit hung on her clothing rack and a young man leaving with one of her own.

Snapping out of his reverie he found himself facing a train station. He had no money to purchase a ticket to wherever it was he'd go. But then again, having no money hadn't stopped him from taking a new outfit, or snatching some food to keep his hunger level down to a tolerable level. He walked into the station, hundreds of people milling about in the lobby, purchasing tickets or checking out their luggage so as to be on their way into the city. Why anyone would want to take a holiday to this godforsaken area of Scotland was beyond him.

Pushing past the throng of people, Aiden made his way to the various platforms accommodated in the station. Trains lined either side of where he stood, some arriving, some leaving. He'd have to hitch a ride somehow. With a deep, nagging uncertainty he crossed to one of the trains, past the conductor who was checking tickets as people began boarding. The final car of the train held a small porch-type structure, made of iron. A ladder leading to the roof of the train was located here and it was then that Aiden finalized his plan to leave Scotland forever. Leaping over the cement walk to the iron gate, he grabbed hold tightly and swung himself around to the ladder and began climbing to the top of the train.

He hadn't wanted to go to the damn country. But after an hour on the train he concluded that that was exactly where he was headed. He'd been confidant that the train had been at least _facing _south! With another swear he looked once again at his surroundings. He really hadn't paid close enough attention to the schedule but hell! He'd been too busy worrying about being caught by the authorities!

Aiden decided to just go with it though. It wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter. He'd have to sneak onto a southbound train at the next stop. Surely station security wouldn't be tighter in a small village in the middle of nowhere… For he was certain that that was where he was headed.

A sudden disturbance inside the train broke his thoughts. He heard, faintly, the conductor moving down the aisle. At the same time he slowly began to feel the train begin to slow. They couldn't have reached a station already…

The conductor's voice became clearer to Aiden. "Have you seen a passenger, late teens, black hair, built, ma'am? We were just radioed that a thief matching that description may have boarded this train."

Aiden didn't hear the woman's response for immediately he knew that they were looking for him. The train had almost come to a complete stop when he made the split second decision to jump. Hitting the side of a hill hard, he spun out of control down the incline.

Rocks and dirt rolled around him as he picked up speed. He fleetingly thought that he must be on a mountain of some sort and was surely rolling to his imminent death. And then he was wet. Water splashed in around him as he sunk downward. For what seemed like a lifetime, he could not distinguish the surface of the water from its shadowy depths. He flailed frantically in the murky water, desperate to get his bearings, swimming never been a greater skill of his. He felt spidery hands grab at him and then everything went black.

His lungs burned. Coughing up water and greedily dragging fresh air into his body, Aiden pulled his feet out of the water, the last part of his anatomy remaining submerged in the lake.

"Oh shit," was all he managed to sputter, gagging all the more.

After a few moments he was able to see around him without being blinded by stars. Dusk had settled in, proving he'd been unconscious for almost the entire day. He was surrounded by a lake and mountains on all sides. A dense forest lined one side of the clearing, the mountains a formidable barrier behind them.

Aiden turned in a full circle and stopped when he was the ruins. The structure had once been a magnificent castle; that much was obvious. The highest towers still stood majestically, though pieces of the roof were cracked or missing, leaving open the large rafters that had once been home to chambers of all sorts. The castle was built of the oldest stones Aiden had even seen, even older it seemed, then a medieval ruin miles from his home. He was able to notice that the front entrance was crumpled to almost nothing as he ventured closer. He glanced inside from his spot on the grass, seeing a large entrance hall with antique picture frames, broken and littering the floor. There was a door beyond, leading to what appeared to be a courtyard.

He was close enough now that when he put one foot onto the step, a sudden thought entered his head. He felt that he had something very important to do at home, and it needed his immediate attention. At the same time, he was stopped by a sign, rotting with age, which practically hit him upside the head. The decaying letters were a warning to those adventurous enough to have traveled this far.

**No trespassing**

**Danger. Unsafe ruins.**

As he took another step onto the stairs, to better read the sign, the thoughts of something to get him away from the castle were more forceful to the point that he actually took a step in retreat. A cold, harsh wind whipped across his face but in his heart Aiden knew he had nowhere else to go and wouldn't be accepted home no matter what he had to do that was suddenly so important. When the first drop of rain slapped his cheek cruelly, he resolved to spend the night in the limited shelter of the castle and in the morning he would find a way out of this hellhole.

He was bone tired and hungry as it was. And as he settled against the cold stone wall, in the would-be courtyard, and drifted off to sleep, he would have bet one thousand pounds that he saw a silvery beard move away from a window above. But he succumbed to the darkness and sleep overcame him.

When he awoke it took him a few moments to get his bearings. Not remembering where he was he jumped to his feet, looking left and right. But it began to sink in. The previous day's events caught up with him on a rush and he frowned. Yeah he had planned to get out of this place this morning but how could he do that when he didn't know where he was? He was facing outside, could see a small village through the entrance hall and out the front doors that he hadn't noticed the previous night. He didn't observe that the doors had been repaired overnight, or that portraits now hung on the walls as he moved to the front doors of the ruins. He saw a small hut in the distance, was positive that hadn't been there before…

Aiden swallowed, hard. He'd been moved overnight but how? He now noticed that the castle looked almost new but still held its ancient qualities intact. The floors looks newly polished and oriental rugs adorned the vast entrance hall that now appeared larger than it had the night before. No this was certainly not the same castle as the one he'd slept in the night before. He took a few steps back into the castle, seeing a coat of arms above the entrance hall's doorway. He saw a lion. A serpent. An eagle and a badger. "What the…"

"I think you should come with me young man," came a wheezy but kind voice behind him.

Aiden spun on his heel to see who had greeted him. The man standing before him was old, very old, with a silvery gray beard that reached his waist and a cap upon the matching hairs of his head. He glanced uncertainly at this old man with a twinkle in his blue eyes, who was wearing a robe of plum that reached the floor.

"Who are you?" was all he dared to ask this stranger, uncertainty building with great speed in inside him.

"A better question could be directed equally to you. Why are you here? How?" Albus Dumbledore asked his young man. He was no student of Hogwarts and yet… How could a Muggle enter the castle? He'd never heard of such a thing happening.  
In fact, he knew it was quite impossible.

"Aiden… Aiden Burke." Came the untrusting reply.

A spark of recognition lit the old man's eyes that made Aiden regret using his real name. Stupid! Why would he do that, when other less noticeable names could have slipped easily into his mind? He was surely done for now. If he was found by the authorities, he didn't want to think of what could happen. He was trapped. He took a step back, hoping to make a break for the exit.

"I wouldn't do that, Mr. Burke," Dumbledore said. "Please, follow me."

Unknowing as to his intentions, Aiden found himself following this grandeur of a man. He had nowhere else to go after all.


	2. Chapter 2

_Two_

The first day of classes back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had been quite uneventful, and July Merriwether was relieved when the final bell of the day sounded. She hastily bottled her Adrenaline solution and cleaned up her working area at the last table of the classroom. Potions had never been easy for her, and she knew, before handing the small vile over to Professor Slughorn, that she most definitely had failed. Somehow, the year previous, she had managed an Outstanding O.W.L to her great surprise. Slughorn, as foul as he could be, managed to sneak a snide remark after every one of her terrible potions lessons that July did not belong there. Today was no exception.

"As usual miss Merriwether," he sneered taking the vile from July's hand and plunking it unceremoniously beside the others, "Your inability to brew a competent potion never ceases to amaze."

July glared back, biting her tongue as not to say what was truly on her mind. Instead she angrily walked back to her things, wrenching her bag over her shoulder without a word, the last to leave the classroom. It was not until she was out into the hall that her twin sister April caught up with her.

"Oi! Jules!" She grabbed a hold of July's backpack, "What's wrong? Never mind. Comon', we need to get to the Common Room!"

"What's so great there?" She asked, as April guided her through the halls until they had reached the Fat Lady—the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Because I've just heard something," there was a hint of excitement in her voice that made July cringe. Usually she and her sister had very different views on what was good, and what was bad.

"Grappledirk," April said absentmindedly to the Fat Lady who swung open at once. She had still not let go of July's bag and pulled her through the entrance. "Go on," she said at once, nodding to four boys sitting next to the fireplace. "Tell her!"

July wrenched herself free from April's grasp and put her bag down beside her favorite comfy chair by the fire. A timid-looking third year hastily grabbed his things and moved to the other side of the Common Room. Under normal circumstances July would have apologized and allowed him to stay where he had been, but potions had put her in a foul mood.

"All right Merriwether?" Asked James Potter looking up from his copy of the _Evening Prophet_ as though he had not heard April at all.

July shrugged noncommittally, "How'd you get up here so fast?"

"Moony," James replied simply.

Remus Lupin gave July a guilty smile. She sighed greatly, "Can I _please_ sit with you next class? I'm rubbish at potions, and that awful woman is out to make me fail! I shouldn't have passed last year! I really should have listened to my mother when she told me not to become an Auror. But did I listen? No! Of course not! And now—"

April gave a loud, hacking cough from behind the group (and cleared her throat several times for good measure), all of whom turned to look at her. "Thank you," she said staring pointedly at July, "As I was saying before I was so _rudely _interrupted. Potter, tell her!"

"Tell me what?" asked July, curious, though her frustration with potions had not disappeared.

"Oh!" Said James. "I was telling April in potions, Filch has an assistant!"

There was a dull pause following this statement. July blinked at the self-proclaimed 'Marauders' and frowned, "What do you mean Mrs. Norris?"

"No, not that bloody cat," said Sirius Black, stealing a handsome grin to April, who blushed furiously. "A person, a squib from the looks of it."

"Why on earth would Dumbledore allow that man to have an assistant?"

"Maybe Filch is leaving soon?" Suggested April hopefully.

"Filch will stay here forever out of spite."

"Then why!"

"No one knows!" Piped up Peter Pettigrew who had already taken to copying Remus' notes from that day's History of Magic lesson. "I heard he's actually a Muggle…"

April scoffed from behind her sister, "Don't be stupid! Muggles can't come in Hogwarts, it's impossible."

"You've finally read _Hogwarts, A History,_ I gather?" asked Remus.

"No, I just listen to July."

"Look," said July, sounding tired. "What does it matter if there's another Filch roaming the halls?"

"It may not matter to _you_ July, but this could put quite a damper on this years high jinks." said James.

Sirius' gray eyes glinted with a malevolent smile, "Or he could make this year much more enjoyable."

July had gone to bed that night in a much better mood after forgetting about potions. The night before Sirius and April had gone off to 'talk', though July knew that they had gone off to some empty classroom to snog. James and Peter were thinking of new, more complicated ways of making Filch's job harder, especially now that he had an apprentice of sorts. But July and Remus had been able to speak freely, which was hard to come by. He was quite good in potions and had suggested that he help her during free time. She had of course accepted, and they had planned to have their first lesson the day after next. She lay in bed, watching the sun rise, as she thought about having decent marks in Potions for once.

On other matters, as far as she knew the idea of Filch having a new assistant just seemed to be a bit out of character for the school and their headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. And this new guy couldn't be a Muggle unless some sort of miracle had occurred that allowed this one Muggle into the school. How could that possibly be though? She didn't buy it for a minute and she was convinced that it was all just clever gossip.

July felt a wand poke her arm and looked over from her bed to her twin who was grinning. "We've got Defense Against the Dark Arts in a half hour and you're not out of bed yet. Studying late with Remus last night were you?"

The cheeks of July's face tinged red. "What's it to you? There's nothing between us Apes," she replied hotly, using her twin's least favorite nickname. "As much as you think there might be there is not. You hated the lot of them until last year."

"Yeah before I discovered just how good of a snogger Sirius is." She beamed mischievously. Sitting up in bed she threw her covers back away from her and stood, facing the floor length mirror in the middle of the circular dormitory. With a snap of her fingers she was dressed in her Hogwarts uniform. The gray cardigan, small female version of the crimson and gold tie, and her gray pleated skirt were all neatly in place. Always the fashion critic she had to dress herself nicely and to dress up her uniform a bit, she picked out shiny black, low heels to wear on her feet.

July grinned. "You really did pick up that wandless crap well last year," she mildly complemented her, not wanting to see her twin's head grow any larger than it was. "Why not just," she snapped her fingers, "Your shoes as well?"

"I haven't been able to get that to work yet," her twin frowned. "They end up on my hands and that does me no good. I can really only do basics without the wand," she sniffed snootily. A trait she was known for at school. "You're just jealous as it is.

"And hurry up; we've got to get going."

"You just like that class because our professor is cute this year."

"Well last year's was horrid, Jules! The man had a mole the size of a galleon on his cheek and a little black-"

"APRIL! Please. Don't remind us of that," came an amused voice from their bedchamber. Lily Evans had awoken as well and was hurriedly changing into her uniform for the day. "How did we all sleep in so late?"

July shrugged, happy that her friend was now awake. She and Lily Evans got along famously and she had, the previous night, agreed to also assist July with Potions before huffing angrily from the room after a rude remark from James Potter.

April frowned and walked to the dormitory doors. "Who knows? Well… I know why I did," she said, a gleam in her eyes as she walked out and shut the door to the dorm behind her. But before it shut with a quiet click, Lily and July heard a loud cat call as her boisterous twin entered the common room, the call more than likely coming from her boyfriend, Sirius himself.

July moved down the hall quickly, the last period of the day looming ahead. It had been a long day, this Tuesday of the week being the longest class day she had scheduled. First Defense Against the Dark Arts, then Muggle Studies, a free period, then Potions again, and lastly Charms. Ugh. Charms would be tedious for her, as it was her best subject and one she picked up on with little to no trouble.

She almost bumped into him before she noticed him. He was she had to admit, very handsome. Dark black hair that shone with what appeared to blue, as jet black hair did. He was tanned. Muscularly built, a big kid. She was about five foot five and the top of her head still only reached his chin.

"Sorry," he mumbled a quick apology. He then met her eyes. They too were very dark, almost black to the point where one could barely distinguish the iris from the pupil.

"That's alright," July said kindly as he made to move out of her way. She knew April would murder her later if she didn't find out who this new person was. April liked to pretend she knew everyone in Hogwarts. And sadly, July admitted, she seemed to. Her sister was the Social Butterfly (a cute little term she'd picked up in her Muggle Studies class) of the school. "I don't believe we've met. July Merriwether," she smiled and extended her hand to the handsome young man.

Aiden Burke frowned. The first student to actually pay him any mind. Odd. But then again after a full two days at this… school of sorts… everything in his life seemed odd now. Magic of all things. Bunch of rubbish. The Filch fellow he'd been assigned to help out around never talked about it, and seemed to be damned foul about it when it did come up. Proving that this Albus Dumbledore was a quack and all his supposed students with him. "Aiden Burke," he said slowly, shaking her hand in return.

"So Filch really does have an assistant then. Interesting." She bit her lip, tilting her head to the side. "You'll think I'm a complete prat if I ask you…"

Aiden shook his head, smiling at the pretty girl before him. (And pretty was an understatement. The girl before him had platinum blonde hair that hinted at shining silver and crystal blue eyes.) He was, after almost a full two days of being tailed by a suspicious cat, craving some human interaction. "No, go ahead."

"Well, it just seems logical…" She collected her question. "You can't be a wizard."

Just the fact that she asked him had him classifying her as a complete psycho as well. He'd yet to see any magic after all. "Err. No." She seemed relieved. Weird.

"Well I didn't think you could be or you'd be taking classes here at Hogwarts. So you're a Squib then?"

He squirmed a bit, uncomfortable now with her questions. He didn't need to interact with any of these people who thought they could do magic. Ridiculous. "I think the old guy called me a Muggle."

July shook her head, floored by the very idea. "You must be the absolute first Muggle to ever come in Hogwarts. I've never heard of that ever!"

"I know, no Muggles can get into Hogwarts, Dumbledore explained everything. Though he still didn't seem able to explain how I found this place—neither can I to be honest. It was just a broken down building when I first saw it, and then, when I woke up, there it was!"

She blinked several times, taking it in. "Fascinating," she said softly.

The enchanted bell rang throughout the hallway, the late bell. "Oh hell," July muttered moodily. "First day of Charms and I'm already late. Hey I've got to run, but I'll see you around okay? Stop by the Gryffindor table during lunch some time. You can sit with us if you'd like. And good luck with Filch."

He smiled. "I'll do that, thanks. And yeah, he's a laugh," he scoffed. "If I could do 'magic' he'd be the first one I went after. See you later," and he turned and walked down the hall.

And as July hurried off to class she was left with an uneasy feeling about this Aiden Burke, but brushed it away as she reached Charms and made a hasty excuse to the professor.


	3. Chapter 3

_Three_

The end of the first week of school rapidly approached with no further sightings of this Aiden Burke character. April was disgruntled. She only had July's description to go by. Tall, dark, and handsome. Yeah thanks July, she thought to herself; I'm glad your descriptive genius decided to shine through when you told me about him.

April sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, amongst the first to arrive from her friends for lunch. She shuffled papers into her purse, not really caring if they got lost or not. That was what a neater twin was for. Not that April was a bad student. She'd scored mostly all Exceeds Expectations with scattered Outstandings, during her O.W.L.s in the areas needed to further continuing her studies to become an Auror. She just did so messily. She'd scored a Troll in Divination, but on purpose. She would have had a Dreadful, but she'd wanted to have a bit fun. You only take your O.W.L.s once after all. She'd looked into the crystal ball, proceeded to look Professor Sinistra in the eye and scream. She'd animatedly thrown the ball into the air and ducked out of the way before it hit her, instead smashing upon the floor into many tiny pieces. April had slapped her hands to her cheeks in despair and when Professor Sinistra had demanded to know what she'd seen…

Well April had decided to tell the annoying teacher that she'd seen herself. Getting a Troll in that O.W.L.

And she had.

She didn't need Divination to become an Auror. What Auror carried a portable crystal ball on them? None.

She was just settling into her lunch when someone sat across from her. She didn't bother to look up, just began flipping through her Quidditch Weekly magazine while she picked at her salad.

"So, I had a few questions. I take it this must be Gryffindor table…"

April blinked at the page in her magazine and looked up slowly. The guy sitting across from her was a very handsome young man. Jet black hair and dark, mysterious eyes. But she sure as bloody well didn't know him, nor had she ever seen him before. Weird.

She looked to her left and right before centering her gaze back on him. "Are you talking to me?"

"You said to join you at the Gryffindor table right?"

"I don't know who you are, or why you're sitting here," she said with a sour sweetness to her voice. "Now if you don't mind I'd like to get back to my article."

Aiden narrowed his eyes at the rude girl. Nothing like… Wait. Something about her was very different from the girl he'd met earlier.

It hit April suddenly and with a small groan she realized her sister had probably introduced herself to this guy and he wasn't aware that July Merriwether was an almost-identical twin. "You must be looking for Juky." She said without looking up from her magazine.

Aiden had been about to just get up and leave during the small pause. But when this girl spoke again he frowned. "No… I don't know a Juky, sorry."

April huffed impatiently. "No you dolt! Juky is a nickname I use for her. Everyone knows that. Honestly, July Merriwether?" She looked up at him then and raised one eyebrow expectantly.

"Oh. I knew you were July." Aiden grinned. "Good joke. How'd you change your eye color?"

"You're not very smart, are you?" April frowned. Poor kid. "I'm April, April Merriwether? Her twin? My hair's at least a good four inches longer than hers. Who are you that you don't know that?"

_Her attitude's starting to piss me off_, Aiden thought to himself with annoyance. "I'm Filch's new assistant. Aiden Burke, the Muggle everyone seems to be talking about.

She decided that Aiden Burke needed a little help with his ego. "Not everyone sweetheart," she said dryly. "Wait. UGH!" She gave him a disgusted look. "Filch's assistant?" She practically yelled. "Why are you sitting here?!"

Aiden gritted his teeth in anger. "I was invited by your much nicer sister."

"Well her mistake then," April sneered. "We don't allow rats to sit with us." She had to put him in his place, the snake. Helping Filch. Bloody hell and she'd actually been sitting across from him for at least ten minutes!

Hastily, April gathered up her belongings, shoving them in her bag. Ugh, his _helper_! She stormed out of the Great Hall, gazes following her and then traveling back to the new young man with the dark black hair. Glaring after Miss April Merriwether, with barely concealed malice, as she left the hall.

She reached the Gryffindor Common Room only minutes later to find the Marauders sitting in various places around the coffee table, on the couch and cushioned chairs. Remus was the only Marauder missing and when April shot the others a quizzical glance, James responded on behalf of his friend.

"Off tutoring your sister," he replied simply. He also didn't share her view that they were doing more than studying. Like… a little snogging perhaps. Nope, she was the only one who was convinced that something other than a better Potions grade for July would result from these sessions they were having. She fell down onto the couch next to Sirius, who put her arm around her neck and dragged her against him.

"Well never mind that. I just had a little run in with our new best friend."

"Meaning…" Peter asked, clearly perplexed.

Had they all forgotten about Filch's helper yet! "Honestly you dolts! Filch's new assistant Dumbledore placed here to make the next two years of Hogwarts troublemaking completely unbearable." She threw James a dirty look, who was only looking over her shoulder. "Are you listening to a word I'm saying!?"

"Not really Apes," James said, using the nickname she loathed. Lily Evans had just walked into the room after all and had his attention even if she didn't desire it. He snapped back to the conversation at hand through when Lily simply shot James a venomous glare and entered the girl's dormitories.

"Filch's new assistant! I've just met him in the hallway, seems he thought I was July. She was making friends with him earlier this week as I understand it."

Sirius grinned. "July makes friends with almost everyone April. You're the one who's choosy about whom you go about with."

She glared at him. "You're lucky I'm not too 'choosy'."

"Ouch, my heart," Sirius mocked with a laugh and gave his little vixen of a girlfriend a smacking kiss on the head. "Your words are like daggers to me."

She couldn't help but force a foolish grin. "Always the poet. ANYWAY, he's a git," she stated matter-of-factly. "He gave me such an attitude!"

The others knew it had more than likely been the other way around but were wise enough to not question April's findings.

"Well what's he look like?" Peter asked. "We should know so we can keep an eye out for him in the halls. And when we go after Snivvy."

"He's on the attractive side if you can get past the attitude. Very black hair, more so than yours Potter," she motioned to James. "Very muscular, kind of a big kid but not bulky. He had almost black eyes too. I don't know though, something seems off about him. I don't like him."

"None of us like him just on principal April," James said with a nod. "We'll still be going about our usual business, I don't care how many assistants Dumbledore wants to bring in. Nothing can stop the Marauders."

"Cheers to that Prongs," Sirius said, toasting James with nothing in his hand. It was the thought that counted after all. "What did you say his name was again?"

"I didn't," April replied. "But it's Burke. Aiden Burke."

Something tickled Sirius's memory but he let it drift off as the conversation turned to the first upcoming Quidditch match scheduled of the season that was to be held two weeks from then.

The rest of September passed by quickly, the last week of the month marking tests for many students. Aiden Burke knew this was true for most of the mutterings he heard from students between classes or during free periods was of studying for tests coming up. He was still getting used to the magic idea, but had come to accept that fact that it did exist in the school. It seemed simple really though. There didn't seem to be anything complicated about it. Nothing dangerous, nothing more than a simple "charm" to fix a broken glass, or a "transfiguration" to turn a rat into a teacup or something of that sort. He was slowly picking up on these types of classroom terms the more he hung around outside doors, eager for a bit of a lesson himself. Sure he couldn't do magic, but what was the harm in wanting to know what it was all about?

He'd come to despise a certain group that called themselves the Marauders. They were friends with that April Merriwether prat and her twin sister July, who was certainly the nicer of the two. July had spoken to him again on several other occasions, answering a vague question he'd pose now and again. He knew she had trouble with the subject called Potions now, and that Charms was her better subject. She'd been recently having trouble brewing a "sleeping draught". Like he said, simple things a Muggle like himself could buy in a pharmacy. Never mind brewing a tedious potion.

But on the subject of the Marauders, he had gathered from other gossipy tidbits that April Merriwether was dating the particularly nasty one of the group, Black or whatever. Yes, he'd had a run in with Sirius Black already and it had been the week previous, after a Quidditch match.

Aiden had been assigned by Dumbledore to help Filch. Filch had defined this job by instructing Aiden to keep an eye on troublesome students and report back to Filch. He _was_ a rat, as he'd been described by April. Well he'd spied Sirius Black and James Potter, his best friend and leader of their little gang, picking on some kid with greasy black hair and an emerald color on his robes. Aiden knew that emerald robes meant the student was member of the Slytherin house of this Hogwarts school. Black and Potter had been relentlessly following the greasy, angry looking kid around the halls, mocking him with names such as "Snivellus" and "Snivvy" and poking at him with their wands. Aiden had yelled across the hall for them to cut it out and he'd received a venomous glare from the one called Sirius.

"Bugger off ya git!" He'd called to Aiden, but he and Potter had retreated back to wherever they had come from. The one called "Snivvy" hadn't even had the decency to say thank you, had simply stalked off into the dungeons.

Aiden continued "patrolling" the halls or whatever you could call it when he came upon the Entrance Hall. He heard the twins before he saw them. They really were a pretty sight and seeing them together, he could tell the differences between them. July simply looked nicer, a serene expression almost, and had crystal blue eyes with the silvery hair that fell to just touching her shoulders. April had an air of indifference about her, something almost dangerous in her that made him wary. Her hair fell a bit past her shoulder blades and she had eyes the color of the purest emeralds. They were uncommonly pretty girls and were identical from the shoulders down. Same slim build and height.

They were having a heated discussion of some sort and were stopped in one of the doorways to the Entrance Hall.

"April! You need to cut it out; you're going to get yourself in trouble if you don't stop acting like this!" Her voice was only slightly hushed. "And me too, seeing as most people can barely tell us apart! I'll get a curse thrown at me just for looking like you do. You don't want to mess with people who might be connected to You-Know-Who."

At the referenced name, Aiden's mind sharply focused in on their conversation. Whoever it was, July was clearly afraid of him, as she couldn't even mention his bloody name. Aiden snorted inwardly.

"July, there's nothing to worry about. The name's not cursed here. Voldemort," she said a bit too loudly. "Won't be around much longer with the Aurors at the Ministry breathing down his and those bloody Death Eater's necks! Someone has to fight the idiot!"

"Hey, Merriwether!" came a different girl's voice. Aiden turned his head sharply to catch the Slytherin girl out of the corner of his eye, moving towards April. He turned back to see April, taking a few steps in the direction of the girl.

"Got a problem, Yaxley?" April sneered, hatred evident in her tone. Her tone was different than the one she'd used with him. Different to the point that Aiden could tell she truly, evidently, despised this girl.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Yaxley said with disgust in her voice as well. "How dare you think yourself superior enough to use the Dark Lord's name?!"

April laughed, mocking the girl. "Your daddy's off killing for Voldemort and even you won't use his name? Then again, not truly shocking seeing as you're just as much of a snake as he is," she scoffed, pointedly staring at the snake emblem representing Slytherin on her uniform.

"Anyone would be proud to be part of the ancient Slytherin house!" The girl named Yaxley practically screeched, red sparks emitting from the wand she held firmly in her hand. The sparks were like fire and caught Aiden's attention. Interesting, he thought with awe. They didn't look safe... He focused back in to hear, "-Those who use the Dark Lord's name are only asking to be killed!" Yaxley yelled, switching the subject back to the one they'd first started arguing about.

"Is that a threat, Carol?" April yelled back. A small crowd had gathered around the two girls. No one cheered them on; there was only a dull silence.

"Maybe you should take it as one, filthy halfbreed that you are!"

That was when the sparks began flying, though Aiden couldn't tell who had first begun the duel. And that must have been what was going on for shouted curses and jinxes were being emitted from both girls, sparks of all different colors flashing from their wands.

Aiden frowned, seeing the Yaxley girl was clearly out of her element here, for April was indeed a clever dueler. The silvery prat's wand slashed and whipped in the air as she blocked, defended herself and attacked her opponent. He was taken aback by the red flash that lit April's eyes when she threw an offensive spell. But although April was a more-than-decent dueler, she already had a nick on her chin from Yaxley.

He found himself hypnotized by the power emitted from the wands as they slashed at the air and the crowd began thinning, people not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. He heard July yelling for her sister to cut it out before she hurt someone, seemingly more concerned that someone else would get hurt and seeming confident in her sister's abilities. He noticed July shouting some sort of spell, missing both targets.

But even he knew nothing would stop these two.

For what seemed like a half hour the girls shot spells at each other and as the duel progressed, he noticed that he heard less shouts from April and a much more surprised Yaxley.

Finally July's luck caught up with her and she managed to disarm Carol Yaxley, whose robes were torn in several spots and was already sporting a blooming black eye. She knew that when her sister started using silent spells she was getting deadly serious about a duel. She knew April would never seriously injure her opponent but would more than likely knock her unconscious. And be kicked from the Quidditch team.

If April were ever kicked off the Quidditch team July knew her twin would go for the throat next time she saw Carol Yaxley during class.

Aiden rushed over once the last sparks faded from the air and Carol's friends helped her to her feet (she had dropped to her knees after being disarmed by July, feeling the effects of several hexes April had used against her). April seemed to be no worse for wear except several more minor abrasions were upon her than at the beginnings of the duel. "What's going on here?"

April rolled her eyes heavenward. "Get out of here," she muttered breathlessly. Shaking July off her arm and took the last few steps to were Yaxley stood. Aiden could hear shouts sounding like a mix of teachers and the Marauders reaching closer to them.

"See the thing about us halfbreeds," April began, glaring with unconcealed contempt at Carol Yaxley, "Is that we're kind of like dog mutts. We're a hell of a lot smarter, and even usually live longer," she snapped, using a reference to dogs that Aiden understood and could tell Yaxley did too.

"And you might as well take that as a threat yourself." April finished, barely resisting the urge to spit at Carol's feet. Or on her feet.

As Professor McGonagall arrived and ushered both girls off to the Hospital Wing, tailed by the Marauders, July pulled Aiden aside. "I think you need to understand some things about this world you've entered." He merely nodded and followed her.


	4. Chapter 4

_Four_

"Right," said July, closing the classroom door behind them. With a quick, absentminded flick of her want she lit the small dingy room, with blue flames that hovered in spheres above their heads. Even she had to admit the light cast an eerie glow.

Aiden's eyes hungrily followed the magic balls of light. "Will April be okay?" he asked, wanting to sound concerned.

"She's fine. It's Carol Yaxley I'd be more worried about." She frowned, saying the next more to herself. "April got her pretty good with that Bat-Bogey…"

July stowed her wand back in her robes and took a sat opposite to him atop a dusty desk. "So, the reason I brought you here," she began, nervously fidgeting as she spoke, "Was because I think you need to know a little bit more about the magical world before you can really be a part of it."

She knew she probably sounded condescending, but after what he had just seen she didn't want him to get the wrong idea about wizards and the world with which she was so familiar.

"I'll never be a part of it really anyway," he said sounding incredibly bitter. "I'm not, if you haven't noticed, _magical_," he stressed the word as though he still couldn't believe he were having this conversation.

"No, but for some reason Dumbledore has decided you could stay here, and that should be reason enough that you become a part somehow. I'm surprised the Ministry hasn't been here already to _obliviate_ you."

Aiden looked quite alarmed at the word "_obliviation_". Taking note, July continued to explain.

"The Ministry—Ministry of Magic, that is—is the governing body over the wizarding world. There is a Minister of Magic who—"

"Wait, there's an actual Minister of Magic?" He seemed to think the idea downright laughable.

July did not laugh, "Yes, there is a Minister. His name is Fredrick Baxton, and the only reason he's been in charge for so long is because there is no one else out there who wants his job."

"Why's that? Controlling the wizarding world doesn't seem like a bad job!"

"Well, I guess normally it wouldn't, but nowadays there isn't much control on the wizarding world by the Ministry."

"Why is that?" Aiden was looking at July intently; he could tell the topic at hand was rather a big deal.

"For quite a few years now there has been an uprising," she began, choosing her words wisely. "A wizard, one with power you can't imagine, has earned himself a following vast in numbers. They've been terrorizing the community for sometime; actually I wouldn't be surprised if your lot hadn't noticed any of their activities by now."

"What'd you mean?"

"Think," July pressed, "There's been a lot of funny deaths lately, people in high positions; strange earthquakes where there have never been any before. Muggles are usually quite inventive when they can't explain a situation properly. Lightening storms last week killed five? No one can be that blind…"

Aiden couldn't believe his ears. "You're telling me… all these things? They have to do with some crazed wizard?"

July nodded, "He, and his following."

"Who is he?"

"Well," July grimaced. "You see, it'll sound silly to you, but we avoid using his name if at all possible. There's a Taboo on it in our world. If someone is foolish enough to think themselves safe from him, and they use his name he knows their exact location the moment it's uttered. He can Apparate there in an instant. You don't survive when he's after you." She said darkly. "The good thing about Hogwarts, though, is that he's afraid of Dumbledore. No one knows why, he just is. He'll never set foot in this castle with Albus Dumbledore here; I can say that for certain."

Aiden was surprised at her confidence in that old geezer. He seemed to be in fine health, but it didn't seem as though he could single-handedly hold off what July was describing as some very powerful wizard.

"Alright," she said, steadying herself, "His name's L-Lord… Voldemort." She said quickly with a shake of her head. "And I won't say it again so just remember it."

"Well why don't you all just stop him if he's so bad? You can do anything can't you?" He nodded toward towards July, though she knew he was thinking of her wand. "How hard could it be?"

July smiled, "It should be that simple, but no, we can't do anything. And the problem when you're fighting against another wizard is that they can do magic too."

Aiden seemed to ponder this for a few moments, the bluish light flickering across his handsome face. July had a chance to marvel at what she was doing. Perhaps, she thought, this could be the start of bridging the gap between the wizarding world, and the Muggles!

"So how come Mug—how come people like me have never seen any of you?"

This time July couldn't help but laugh, "Of course you have! It's just that we're quite good at disguising ourselves. In fact, I can never help but wonder how we've gone as long as we have without being entirely discovered. I mean of course there's been cases where a Muggle has seen or heard too much but usually, like I said before, the Memory Removal Squad apparates there in an instant to _Obliviate_ them."

"When you say _Obliviate_…"

"Charm that alters a person's memory," she said dismissively waving her hand. "There's been an International Statute of Secrecy for hundreds of years though, to prevent Muggles from realizing what's really going on."

"Sorry, I'm trying to follow you in all this, but—what does, err, appratate mean?"

"Apparate," she said simply, "It's when a witch or wizard disappears from one location and appears in another. Apparition and Disapparition."

Aiden's eyes had grown wide at this, "Can you do it?"

"I've only just started the lessons; I'm not legal until February to do it all the time." She grinned at how delighted Aiden seemed by the idea of Apparition.

"What that girl said back there, about your sister," July's grinned faded quite suddenly and she looked steely, "What did she mean by, err, halfbreed?"

Though it was the reason that sparked this lesson of sorts, July found herself surprisingly displeased that he had brought the topic up so quickly. Hadn't there been other things on his mind about magic he wanted to know? "A halfbreed is a charming term used, by families like Carol Yaxley's, to describe someone who has something other than a witch or wizard in their blood lines. My sister and I have a not-so-distant relation to a Veela."

"A wh—"

"You probably noticed a red glaze flash in April's eye now and again during that duel back there." And indeed Aiden had. "It's as far as we can… transform when incensed because the relation is so distant. Veela look like beautiful women, but they're not human and actually turn into bird-type creature when angered." July almost snapped intent on not saying anything more on the subject. "Sorry," she took a breath, "It's just that, especially now, people have taken it upon themselves to classify others by blood purity. That's what… that wizard and his following are out to do—purifying the wizarding race."

Aiden shifted in his seat, frowning, "You mean to say that not everyone's a real wizard?"

"Of course they are. It's just that some have married Muggles. But believe me, it was necessary, if we hadn't done that I assure you our world would have died out some time ago. There are only a few _pure_ wizarding families left in the world." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. The topic of impure blood always seemed to aggravate her, especially now with the increasing number of attacks on families. It wasn't so long ago that a Ravenclaw girls parents had been murdered. And her parents worked for the ministry, putting themselves in that type of danger on a daily basis—it was only a matter of time before something happened to them…wasn't it?

"So Muggles," he seemed to struggle with the word, "Can have wizards for children?"

July nodded, "It's not totally uncommon. Usually it's because they have a relation somewhere who was magical. The opposite can happen, though. Sometimes a Muggle can be born into an entirely wizarding family."

Aiden let out a low whistle, "I don't think I could handle that."

"They're called squibs, actually that's what you're friend Filch is, but don't let on that you know."

"Bloody hell, that's why the old codger's so miserable."

"I imagine so,"

"Can't really blame him, to be stuck in here with hundreds of people, well, like you, and not being able to do magic," he gave a harsh laugh, "Actually, we're not so different Filch and I."

July had nothing to say. If it were true and he was not magical in anyway then how on earth had he stumbled across Hogwarts? Things like that did not just happen. Since stumbling into him she had searched every book she could get her hands on for an explanation of the measures Hogwarts had in place to keeping itself unplottable, and Muggle-proof. She hadn't really needed to go much further than _Hogwarts, A History_ to find that there was no recorded case, ever, of a Muggle finding the school. Not to mention ever entering it.

The few moments of bitter silence was broken, "Sorry," he said gruffly, not looking at her. "It's just, can you blame me for feeling a bit out of place here?"

"Not at all."

"When did you start going here?" he asked, seeming to be happy to change the topic away from himself.

"Eleven, everyone does," she explained. "There's seven years of magical education, at least in the United Kingdom there is. Other countries are different. I think the American's go for nine years, and I know it's six in Asia. Witches and wizards come of age at seventeen here."

Aiden gave a shaky laugh, "So you're really everywhere then? Not just in the UK?" July nodded. "Can you…" he began, and July could tell he had been anxious to ask. "Can you do some magic then?" He blushed furiously at the question, feeling like a small child meeting a magician for the first time. "It's just, I haven't seen much. Apart from what happened back there," he nodded towards the hallway, "But that's about it."

July grinned, despite the fact that she felt somewhat like a side street performer. "I've finally learned this one. Would have been helpful on my O.W.L.s last year though, ah well..." gracefully removing her wand from beneath her cloak she made a quick complicated move in the air, "_Expecto Patronum!_" A small, bright, silvery cat burst from the end of her wand and flitted gracefully through the room, leaving a long trail of light behind it.

Aiden gazed open-mouthed as he watched it dash out through the nearest window one quick, fluid movement. "What was that?" he breathed.

"It's called a Patronus," July explained, looking quite delighted with herself that she had managed to finally create a Corporeal Patronus. "They're really useful. Excellent defense against dementors—apparently there's even a way you can send them for messages, sort of like owls. I'm not nearly skilled enough for that yet; I've only just been able to manage that." She nodded toward the open window, "April's been producing hers since fourth year, but…" her voice trailed off.

There was a moment of silence between the pair, July realizing that he had probably had enough for the day. She slid from the desk feeling as though they had accomplished more than she could have imagined in the short amount of time, but hoped she hadn't overwhelmed him too much. "I'm glad I was of some help, hopefully I've at least been able to explain a few things around here." She grinned opening the door, flicking her wand at the blue balls of flames, which darkened instantly.

"You've helped a lot," he said truthfully, "Thank you," a grin lit his handsome face.

"Anytime," July said, quickly turning from him and heading back towards the Common Room. "See you round!"

She hoped desperately that he hadn't seen how red her face actually was.


End file.
